[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Darsovin

First define "close", our definitions may be different. Plus there are other variables too such as numbers and how fast they can close distance. All of these dictate when to apply force. When rifles are designed for engagement ranges of 50yds+ my argument is that the fight is avoidable and you should think of alternatives to stopping and making grey matter see the light of day. But if a shambling zombie, one or let's be fair, 5-6 are approaching me, I can fire, rack a new round, reacquire, and fire again, one shot into each head of each zombie within 10 seconds. Of course your mileage may vary depending on familiarity and practice with the weapon. And 6-8 shot capacity are about average for a tactical shotgun.

And you cannot "silence" a shotgun. Same is true with rifles. You can "suppress" shots but the biggest problem is the sonic boom of the projectile traveling through the air. THAT'S what causes the loud snap of a round being fired. You need to chamber sub-sonic ammo to properly suppress shots which effectively reduces the rifle's main advantage, projectile velocity and energy.

Not that I'm saying everyone should use a shotgun. As a team, a shotgunner and a rifleman make an excellent and adaptive combo. But for ranges of 10-20 feet, hard to beat the amount of damage a full load of buckshot will do, or even a 1 ounce lead slug.

Letting a zombie get close enough to grab you and liberate you of several mouthfuls of brain is obviously not the idea here. When I say close range I don't mean hand to hand!

Well I went and checked "the guide" and I guess we are both right:

6. The Shotgun
At close range against human attackers, this weapon reigns supreme. Against the living dead this is not entirely true. A good twelve-gauge shotgun can literaly blow a zombie's head off. However, the longer the range, the greater the the pellet dispersal pattern, and the lesser chance of skull penetration. A solid slug would have the same effect as a rifle, even at greater range (provided the barrel is long enough), but in that case why not just use a rifle? What shotguns do posses is stopping power. The scattering shot acts as a solid wall, whereas a rifle bullet might pass clean through pr miss the target altogether. If you are cornered, or on the run, and need time to escape, a good shotgun blast can send several zombies sprawling. The downside of a shotgun is that the large, twelve-gauge shells leave less room for other equipment. This must be considered if a long journey is required.

Of course this is just a book made for laughs and not in any serious tone :P